CFLs, we’ve all got them.  Now what?  Once they’ve burned out, or you’ve decided to move to LED lights, how do you dispose of CFLs? In our quest to figure out what to do with spent CFLs and batteries, we’ve found two solutions:  IKEA and WM.

IKEA has a free to use CFLs and battery recycling center, generally in the exit /customer service area.  You might expect Waste Management (WM) to have an option for recycling or disposal of CFLs and batteries, and they do, but it costs $20 and requires some planning and coordination to pull it off.  

Some background (this is pretty mundane stuff, apologies).

So many of us have been trying to do the right things to try to reduce energy consumption and by extension, reduce our use of hydrocarbons.  Incandescent lights have way to fluorescent and compact fluorescent bulbs or CFLs, which generally cost more, but last longer and use far less energy for the same amount of light.  Now, a lot of people are moving on to LED lights, but meanwhile there are all these CFLs to dispose of, or recycle if possible.

Maybe you stocked up on CFLs when incandescent bulbs disappeared, and the fluorescent replacements went on sale.  For a few years, they were the way, the only way, but there wasn’t much information about how or where to dispose of the bulbs once they burned out.  And, if you dig a little, and realize that these bulbs contain mercury gas, well you may not be OK with having them hanging around the house while you find a place that accepts them.  That’s the part that got me thinking, “Great, now I have a collection of non-functional, fragile, toxic gas filled delicate things…”  Yep, time to dispose of those CFLs.  Of course, if they’re still good, and you won’t be using them, you can donate them.

Oh well, there’s nothing that can be done, we’re going to need more frequent trips to IKEA.  Wait until I tell the kids, being teenagers, they are enthusiastic eaters of IKEA fare.  ???????☕???️

Not an IKEA fan?  Here’s what the EPA recommends:

Recycling and Disposal of CFLs and Other Bulbs that Contain Mercury

? Come to think of it, we never get out of IKEA for less than $20.  Maybe the WM method is actually a money saver.